


Blindsided

by theblackhall



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Food Fight, M/M, Meme as source of affection, Ooh you wanna kiss me so bad, wooyu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:54:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26614045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblackhall/pseuds/theblackhall
Summary: blindsided: the act of making someone unable to perceive the truth of a situation.“ooh you wanna kiss me so bad.”“keep dreaming.”or in other words: where wooseok wouldn't stop teasing yuto with "ooh you wanna kiss me so bad" until yuto finally gave in.
Relationships: Adachi Yuto/Jung Wooseok
Comments: 9
Kudos: 90





	Blindsided

**Author's Note:**

> i read a similar fic from a different fandom and thought, yo, this is totally something wooyu would do. so here it is. just for laughs and my own satisfaction :D

Ever since the sentence became a trend on Twitter, Jung Wooseok couldn’t stop saying it to every single friend that tried to bother him. It became his own catchphrase, leaving his mouth every chance he got, and it became extremely annoying after the first three times. However, the one that was _always_ on the receiving end of the dumb sentence was none other than his own roommate and best friend, Adachi Yuto.

Yuto didn’t know if he was as irritated by the seven words as much as Yanan was, or if he actually liked it and didn’t want to admit. Sometimes Wooseok would leave a plate in the sink as Changgu did the dishes just so he could say the phrase to the older man’s face, leaving him in confusion. Most of the time, though, the reactions would lean more towards anger, but it’s not like Wooseok cared. Getting on his friends’ nerves was a personality trait for him.

Just over a month prior, Wooseok had orchastrated a prank on Hoetaek’s birthday—with help from the prank master Ko Shinwon of course—and it resulted in a small cake being bashed onto Hoetaek’s face, a screaming match, and Shinwon rolling on the floor, dying of laughter. Amidst the screaming match, as expected, Wooseok had thrown in the casual “Ooh, you wanna kiss me so bad,” and received a slap on the arm from the birthday man.

Legend has it the red handprint of Hoetaek’s small hand on his arm can still be seen until today.

Even though the hype around the phrase had died down on social media, it surely stuck with Wooseok. It was the first week of October, and the tall, lanky man was sitting cross-legged on the floor of their university’s music studio.

He was scribbling and crossing out some words on a piece of paper while Yuto did the same on the couch right beside him. They were writing lyrics for a new song in the making while Hyunggu and Changgu sat in front of a computer, composing it. The atmosphere was something the four of them were used to, and nothing was out of the ordinary… so far.

“Can’t believe we finally get to perform at the annual concert this year,” said Changgu as he watched Hyunggu arrange some tracks on the screen. “And it’s Halloween themed! Have you guys decided what to dress up as yet?”

Wooseok hummed, putting the paper down while poking his own chin with the pencil. “I think we should all dress up as the Ghostbusters. It’d be perfect since there’s four of us,” his face lit up at the idea as the other three stared at him. “Oh my god! I can be Holtzmann, and Hyunggu can be Gilbert. Wait, I’d _kill_ to see Changgu as Tolan.”

“And _I’m_ Yates?” Yuto grimaced.

“Yeah? Who else would you be?”

“Okay, that’s just mean.”

Wooseok scoffed, turning around to face Yuto with a new level of smugness radiating from him as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Which character do you think best fits you then?”

“Mind you, I’d make a great Gilbert. Hyunggu can surely pull off Holtzmann,” answered Yuto while setting aside the papers he’d used to write lyrics.

“Then who the hell am I?”

“ _You_ would make an awesome Yates.”

Changgu burst out laughing at Yuto’s statement while Hyunggu shook his head and put on his headphones. “Tell me when they’re done arguing,” he told Changgu, and the latter nodded in between laughter.

Wooseok placed his hands on his hips, “Now why the hell would I be a great Yates? You do realize you’re the actual embodiment of that character right?”

 _“Excuse me?”_ Yuto moved forward in his seat, staring at Wooseok as if he wanted to eat the man alive at the remark.

In a split second, they were both standing up, facing one another with their walls of ego looming high behind them. Changgu had soon lost interest in the ongoing bickering and went back to watching Hyunggu do his work, waiting for his turn. The two beanstalks, however, continued to yell louder with every sentence that escaped their mouths.

“No, you don’t get it,” Wooseok huffed, clearly annoyed, “you’re clumsy sometimes and you jump at the slightest sounds when you think you’re alone, that totally sounds like Yates to me.”

“When I _think_ I’m alone? What the hell do you mean by that? No wait, you know what, I don’t even want to know at this point. You’re just too proud to admit that you’re the clumsy one here and that sounds like a _you_ problem.”

“Ooh, you wanna kiss me so bad,” said Wooseok, the hint of a smirk evident on his face as he stared straight into Yuto’s eyes, challenging him.

There was the phrase, the one that Yuto wanted to discard so badly from his mind yet continued to think about without provocation. It was just something dumb, and his best friend said it to their other friends too, so why did it affect him so much every time it was directed at _him_?

Yuto held Wooseok’s gaze and gulped while discreetly trying to suppress whatever weird feeling that bubbled in his chest. The heat was rushing to his cheeks, and he didn’t notice Changgu looking at them back and forth as he clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, turning away from Wooseok before the man could catch his reddening face.

“Whatever you say, Yates,” Yuto picked up the paper from the couch and sat down again. “Now finish your goddamn verse before Hyunggu loses his mind.”

Wooseok grinned and did as told, but not before sticking his tongue out at the Japanese man as he took his seat on the floor once more.

୨˚୧

November arrived.

The Halloween themed concert was a success, and Shinwon decided to take Yuto and Wooseok out for lunch as a treat. It’s just a small western restaurant a couple blocks away from their campus, and since Shinwon was paying, the duo had no trouble agreeing to the offer.

It was a Sunday, the restaurant was almost full, and Shinwon was more than relieved that he had reserved a table earlier. The three of them sat at a table near the wall at the back of the restaurant, surrounded by couples and family with little children. White noise filled their ears as they ate while talking about the great experience of the concert.

“Seriously, the song’s amazing. I can’t believe you guys wrote that masterpiece,” Shinwon said after swallowing a mouthful of mac and cheese.

“Right? I wanted to do a ballad at first, but _someone_ ,” Yuto glanced at Wooseok, “was against my idea and wanted an upbeat song. So that’s how we ended up writing it, and I’m glad it worked out well in the end.”

Wooseok slurped his strawberry smoothie out loud and placed the glass back on the table with a thud. “Of course it worked out great! It was _my_ idea.”

He threw his arms out in a dramatic gesture and wriggled his eyebrows at Yuto, who was sitting opposite him. Shinwon only scoffed at his friend and put another spoonful of macaroni in his mouth.

“Okay, this smoothie’s good but I _need_ to try the brownie that we saw in the special menu on our way in,” said Wooseok after finishing his drink. He raised his hand to call for a waiter, and Yuto stared at him in disbelief.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Hm?” Wooseok turned to look at him. “What do you think? I’m ordering the brownie. Can’t you see?” He waved the hand he held up in the air before turning around to see if a waiter had noticed him.

Yuto reached across the table and pulled Wooseok’s arm down. “You’re joking right? Tell me you’re joking.”

“I’m joking,” Wooseok deadpanned. “Of course not! I want the brownie! We can share, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Running a hand down his face, Yuto sighed aloud and stared at his friend with a raised eyebrow. “Shinwon hyung is paying, remember? You already ordered your dessert, is the smoothie not enough for you?”

“Are _you_ joking? A smoothie and a brownie are two different things the last time I checked. And this smoothie is not even considered dessert, what are you on about? You agree with me right, hyung?” Wooseok turned to Shinwon, who was scrolling through his phone as he was not too keen to listen to their constant bickering.

“What?” he turned, looking at the unsatisfied Yuto and expectant Wooseok. “Yeah, smoothies aren’t dessert, it’s just his drink the way Coke is mine.”

“ _See!_ ”

“Hyung, you’re encouraging him.”

“Yuto, what are you so jealous about? Shinwon hyung is okay with me ordering the brownie, why are you the one who’s pissed?”

“Do I need to go there?” asked Yuto, his tone monotonous. If looks could kill, Wooseok would be breathless on the tiled floor of the packed restaurant. The next few tables around them were already annoyed by their loud conversation, but Wooseok wasn’t exactly planning to lose the argument any time soon.

“Go ahead.”

“You already ate a brownie this morning!” Yuto said, leaning forward so he could harshly whisper the words across the table. “You ate my brownie, you ate my noodles, you ate the last rainbow ice cream that I saved in the freezer, you even finished all the lemon biscuits I kept in a jar on my study table! And now you want to order another round of desserts just because you’re not the one paying?”

Wooseok only stared at Yuto, suppressing his laughter by pursing his lips together while being very aware that the strangers around them heard everything that Yuto said. The longer he stared at Yuto, though, the more he failed to hold in his laugh, and Wooseok burst out laughing in his seat with his hands covering his face.

“What’s so funny?” Yuto asked, exasperated.

Shinwon was giving the onlookers an apologetic smile and silently wished that he could just evaporate into thin air. He didn’t know what he’d expected when he decided to take the two out for lunch, they were always fighting about something, and the topic seemed to constantly revolve around food.

When Wooseok had calmed down from his burst of hysterics, he breathed in deeply and shook his head. “You’re seriously mad about that jar of biscuits I ate over five months ago?”

“So you _admit_ that you ate it!”

“Of course _I_ ate it, I’m your roommate! Did you expect Yanan to walk in and eat it when he never even stepped foot inside our room because it’s too messy?”

“Well at least Yanan never ate any of my other snacks that I saved in the kitchen because he respects people’s boundaries! You could’ve at least asked for permission,you know? But _no_ , go ahead, devour every bit of food we have in the kitchen.”

“If that’s you giving me permission then I just might do that when we get home.”

“Oh my god,” Yuto shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he exhaled. “You… You’re just so…”

“Ooh, you wanna kiss me so bad.”

Wooseok had that same smug look on his face while Shinwon almost choked on his soda. The tallest of them crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Yuto to fight back, but the man kept his eyes closed. Wooseok thought his friend was so pissed at him he couldn’t find the words to react, when in reality, Yuto just wanted to reach across the table and slam his lips onto Wooseok’s in one swift motion.

“What, out of things to say?” Wooseok continued when Yuto finally opened his eyes and cleared his throat.

Yuto didn’t even look him in the eye. He only looked behind Wooseok, raised his hand and called a waiter over to their table within seconds. “Yeah, can we have the brownie please, with vanilla ice cream.”

The look on Wooseok and Shinwon’s faces were priceless, but both of them kind of expected that to happen anyway. Yuto was always the friend who thought about others before himself, regardless of what he decided to say. He complained about Wooseok finishing his biscuits, yet he always refilled the jar and kept it on his table anyway, just so Wooseok could eat them again.

It was no surprise that Yuto would do anything Wooseok told him to, and everyone realized it except for Yuto himself.

“Aww…” Wooseok dragged out, placing his chin in his palm as he leaned forward on the table, making puppy eyes at Yuto. “You ordered it for me, with my favorite topping too.”

“I just want you to shut up,” replied Yuto, looking unbothered while putting on the best absentminded tone that he could muster. “Now please, zip it.”

“Sir, yes sir,” Wooseok leaned back in his chair, beaming with a cheeky smile that made it all worth it for Yuto.

His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, both from the smile and that goddamn phrase that was thrown at him just two minutes prior. Yuto didn’t know how to explain the sensation that built up in his chest every time Wooseok said it to him, and he surely didn’t know how to react to it in the most sane way possible.

What he _did_ know was that Jung Wooseok drove him crazy, and he absolutely, completely, didn’t mind it at all.

୨˚୧

It was the last two weeks of the semester, which meant study week. After spending the whole day at the library and even studying while having lunch together, Wooseok and Yuto retired to their room. They had decided that they deserved a break for an hour or two, so they sat in the living room after dinner, playing games. Wooseok was sprawled on the couch, lying on his stomach with a Nintendo Switch in his hands. The hype had disappeared, but that didn’t stop him from playing Animal Crossing.

Yuto, on the other hand, had stopped playing that game a couple weeks before, and he was playing Kart Rider on his phone as if the world would end if he stopped. Lying on the floor with a large Pikachu plushie under his head, Yuto’s surroundings had ceased to exist to him at the moment. He was so focused, his tongue poking out between his lips as he controlled his avatar’s driving down the hardest course in the game. He had a bet against Shinwon, the champion of Kart Rider in their group of friends.

If Yuto beat Shinwon’s high score in that course, Shinwon would have to bring him and the others to the beach when they’re done with their exams. The older man had confidently accepted the challenge because he knew there was no way in hell Yuto could beat his high score. Maybe he forgot that Yuto’s one of the most hardworking people he’d ever met, and he wouldn’t give up even if it’s just a game.

“Hey, Yuto,” Wooseok called from the couch, only to receive silence in return. “Yuto,” he tried again, this time turning away from the screen to take a look at his friend.

With his phone inches away from his face, Yuto was trying his best to remain in first place. It was the final lap before victory would be his, and Wooseok’s voice was instantly drowned out by his determination.

“Oi, _Yuto_!” Wooseok shrieked, throwing a cushion at his friend, resulting in his phone falling from his hands and hitting the floor.

“What the fuck!” Yuto sat up immediately and stumbled to pick up his phone once more. He cursed out loud when he saw that he was then in third place, and shot daggers at Wooseok before playing the game again.

Amused, Wooseok set his own game aside and watched as Yuto sat cross-legged on the floor, gritting his teeth while his thumbs moved expertly on his phone screen. He groaned every now and then when his avatar accidentally took the wrong path or went in the wrong direction, but continued to play until he was back in first place.

“Yuto,” Wooseok called again after several minutes. “Yuto...” he whined, dragging out the man’s name whilst getting down from the couch. He scooted closer to his friend and sat directly in front of him, pouting like a baby. “Yuto, stop playing Kart Rider and play Animal Crossing with me.”

Without taking his eyes off the screen, Yuto mumbled “No” loud enough for Wooseok to hear, and the latter proceeded to whine louder.

“Yuto, play Animal Crossing with me!” he held Yuto’s forearms and shook the man back and forth, only to no avail. “Yuto!”

“I’m sick of it! Okay?” Yuto glanced at Wooseok for a split second before gluing his gaze on the screen again. “Now let me win this in peace or else we won’t get to go to the beach.”

When no reply came from Wooseok, Yuto was more than relieved. He continued to stay in first place, his mouth slowly forming a smile as he almost reached the finish line, when all of a sudden the Pikachu plushie came flying towards him and knocked him backwards. His phone fell beside him with a thud, and as expected, Yuto lost the game.

_“Jung Wooseok!”_

Yuto got on his feet, pulled the plushie off the floor and began chasing Wooseok around the living room. His yelling filled the entire dorm, and he’s thankful that Yanan and Changgu were still on campus, or else they would have to get an earful from those two older men if they ever found out.

Accompanying Yuto’s aggravated yelling was Wooseok’s satisfied laughter. He laughed until his ears were red and his stomach churned while his long legs became his advantage to run around the room, out of Yuto’s reach.

“How dare you!” Yuto shouted, “I was almost at the finish line, you idiot!”

“I know,” Wooseok turned to stick his tongue out at him, and bumped into the kitchen counter in the process, making him fall onto the floor. The next thing he knew, Yuto toppled over him, and sent the plushie flying over the dining table.

“What the hell, Seok?” Yuto groaned, propping himself up with his hands so he was hovering over his taller friend. He had knocked his head onto Wooseok’s shoulder, and his hand absentmindedly rubbed the spot through the latter’s shirt, sending shivers down Wooseok’s spine.

“You weren’t going to win it anyway,” Wooseok said. “Shinwon’s score is too high.”

“Well maybe I would’ve if you’d just stop _bothering me_.”

“I wouldn’t have to bother you if you agreed to play with me in the first place.”

“I told you! I’m sick of that game, how many times do I have to repeat myself?”

“Well you’re the one who got me addicted to it!”

“ _Me?”_ Yuto stared down at Wooseok in disbelief. He jabbed his forefinger onto Wooseok’s chest multiple times as he spoke, “ _You_ stole my Switch in the middle of the night to play it while I was asleep, and you blame _me_ for it? This has got to be a new level of low for you, Wooseok.”

“Ooh, you wanna kiss me so bad.”

Yuto stopped talking. He took in Wooseok’s face that was merely inches away from his, their noses almost touching. Unlike him, who’s dressed in a muscle tank and pajama pants, Wooseok looked cozy in his oversized yellow hoodie and plaid pants. He liked that about Wooseok; always wearing hoodies that were one size too big for him, and walking around the dorm with his cat slippers.

There it was again—the blood rushing to his face and warming his cheeks. Before Wooseok could open his mouth, Yuto smacked the spot on his shoulder that he’d been rubbing and got off of him.

“Keep dreaming, villager,” the Japanese man said as he walked towards the dining table to pick up his Pikachu, his back facing Wooseok. He smiled at the plushie when he realized that it was the same shade of yellow as his best friend’s hoodie, and went back to the living room to take his phone.

“You’re still not gonna win first place though,” Wooseok shouted from the kitchen, already opening the fridge to get his hands on whatever food he could find.

“Can’t hear you, my score’s too high,” Yuto replied.

He sat down on the floor once again, his thumb hovering over the Play button while his mind replayed the incident in the kitchen. Whenever he closed his eyes, even that night before sleep finally swallowed him whole, he would see Wooseok’s face beneath him, and the way his breath tickled his chin.

Yuto would see Wooseok’s playful smirk every time he said that phrase, and his heart would hammer in his chest at the thought of pulling Wooseok in for a kiss, just to shut that stubborn man up.

୨˚୧

Finals were around the corner, and the library was packed with students from every single department. Some were burying their faces in books while others stared at their laptop screens with knitted eyebrows. A few were downing shots of espresso to stay awake, while another group of people gave up and fell asleep on their thick textbooks.

Seated at a table in one corner of the commodious room were none other than Wooseok, Yuto, Hyunggu, and Yanan. The four of them were silent for once, respecting their own study time and the other students around them. It was a library after all, even Wooseok tried his best to whisper whenever he needed to talk. Sometimes his voice would come out anyway, and he’d ended up texting his friends even though they’re right in front of him.

Yuto emerged from between one of the bookshelves with two books in hand. He silently pulled back his chair and sat down opposite Wooseok whose eyes were glued to his notes as he recited some words under his breath, clearly trying to memorize them. Hyunggu was typing away on his laptop beside him, and Yanan was biting the top of his pen as his eyes moved across the pages of his textbook.

Without wasting time, Yuto opened the first book that he’d taken and began looking for a certain chapter. He only managed to read the first paragraph before Wooseok softy kicked his shin under the table.

“What?” Yuto mouthed at him, and Wooseok pushed a set of papers towards him while mouthing back “Test me.”

Rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time that week, Yuto marked the page he was reading and set the book aside to take a look at Wooseok’s papers. There were questions along with answers that Yuto regarded as a mock exam paper, and he scanned through it to find a question that caught his attention.

Yuto began asking the question softly, “The brain accounts for two percent of body mass and what percent of the body’s oxygen consumption?”

“That’s easy,” Wooseok whispered, “it’s twenty percent.”

“Correct. Next question—injury to the human amygdala impairs recognition of what facial expression?”

Wooseok tapped his chin with his forefinger. “Hm, sadness? No, wait!” he whispered a little too loudly and received a smack on the arm from Hyunggu. “Sorry. Fear?”

Yuto nodded, “The answer’s fear. What about this, injury to the orbitofrontal cortex in Phineas Cage primarily altered which capacity?”

“Character. And it’s not Phinease Cage, it’s Phineas _Gage_.”

“Correct. And _sorry_ I’m not a psychology student,” Yuto replied in a mocking tone, causing Wooseok to roll his eyes. Yanan and Hyunggu only looked up to glance at one another before focusing on their studying once more.

“Not being a psychology student doesn’t mean that you can’t _read_.”

“I made _one_ mistake, and suddenly I’m illiterate. You’re sickening.”

“Excuse me? _You’re_ sickening.”

“Because I mistaken a G for a C? Madness. At least I said Phineas Cage and not Phineas and Ferb or some weird shit.”

“Don’t you dare bring Phineas and Ferb into this. It has nothing to do with them.”

Yuto scoffed, “Why not? For someone who studies psychology, you sure do act like a child.”

Wooseok’s opened his mouth and closed it again before leaning forward, his arms on the table. “What does that have to do with _anyting_?”

“I don’t know. You seem too immature to be a psychologist, I wouldn’t trust my deepest darkest secrets with you.”

“Yuto. I literally _know_ your deepest darkest secrets.”

“Shh!”

Wooseok pursed his lips and looked at Yuto with a glint in his eyes when he realized that his voice had gotten louder. He turned to apologize to the student that had shushed him and focused on Yuto again.

“Anyways, like it or not, I already know your secrets so you’re already trusting me with it,” smiled Wooseok, the smugness so evident in his voice that it made Yuto’s blood boil. “Maybe I should tell Yanan hyung your secret.”

“Don’t drag me into your petty arguments,” Yanan said, his eyes never leaving the pages of his book. Hyunggu suppressed a smile.

“I don’t know what secrets you’re talking about, I’m literally an open book just like your college entrance exam.”

Wooseok gasped dramatically, “You did _not_.”

“How do you expect me to help you study when you’re behaving like a complete drama queen?”

“Ooh,” Wooseok grinned, “you wanna kiss me so bad.”

Their two friends stopped what they’re doing just to listen to Yuto’s response. They appeared expectant, but Wooseok and Yuto didn’t have to know that.

Yuto nonchalantly placed the set of papers on the table and pushed it back towards Wooseok before picking up his book. His heart was racing in his chest, but he cleared his throat and opened the book to the page he had previously marked.

“Like I said before,” he spoke in a low tone, “keep dreaming.”

That was all it took for Wooseok’s smirk to be replaced with a genuine smile that brought a light shade of pink onto his cheeks. He went back to his papers, memorizing and highlighting key words while Yuto hid his face behind the thick pages of the book in his hands, forcing his mind to think about anything else that’s not the boy sitting in front of him.

୨˚୧

A few weeks passed since their little argument at the library, and the whole gang was gathered at Jinho’s house for dinner. It was Shinwon’s birthday, so the oldest friend decided to cook some delicious food for them. Everyone knew that the primary school teacher was a good cook, so they sat around the dining table, drooling at the sight of the different dishes Jinho had prepared along with the birthday cake that Hoetaek baked.

“I can’t believe you actually baked me a cake,” said Shinwon as he passed around a slice of cake to each of them. It was a simple vanilla cake with chocolate frosting, just the way Shinwon liked it.

“You know Hoetaek will give you everything you ask for, right?” Hongseok said before eating a spoonful of the cake. A series of hums followed as the others agreed with Hongseok’s statement.

Hoetaek rolled his eyes and took a plate of the cake for himself before sitting next to the birthday boy. “Maybe not everything.”

“Oh, definitely everything,” said Changgu, causing everyone to laugh, including Shinwon himself.

The dinner went on as expected—laughter erupting every few seconds and Shinwon making awful puns that Wooseok always seemed to have a clever comeback to, Hongseok adding more food onto his plate because it’s his cheat day, and Yanan stealing food off Hyunggu’s plate every chance he got.

“So today, I was on cafeteria duty right,” Jinho started, pausing to take a sip of his soda, “I saw this kid. His friend gave him one slice of his pizza, but it had pineapples on it, so this kid didn’t even try to hide how much he hated it.”

“Boo,” Wooseok said, “pineapple on pizza is good. Kid’s just tasteless.”

“Ew, it’s _not_ ,” Yuto threw Wooseok a disgusted look.

“Here we go,” muttered Yanan under his breath before finishing his glass of water. The rest of them continued eating as they patiently waited for the bickering to ensue.

Wooseok face-palmed and rubbed his forehead before sitting up straight as if he’s about to start a lecture. “You don’t understand. I don’t even like pineapples to begin with, but pineapple on pizza? With chicken slices to compliment the sweet taste? It’s _heavenly_ , man. Have you even tried it?”

“I have, and that’s why I regret it,” said Yuto as he fed himself a mouthful of rice and fish.

“There must be something wrong with your tastebuds, Yuto. It’s god’s invention, and I refuse to believe that there are people who don’t like it.”

Shinwon opened his mouth to say that he agreed with Yuto, but Hoetaek squeezed his hand and shook his head.

“If it’s anyone’s tastebuds here that’s malfunctioned, it’s yours,” Yuto deadpanned.

Wooseok shrugged and added more tteokbokki onto his plate. “Whatever you say, at least I actually like tasty food and not some nasty stuff like mint chocolate ice cream.”

Hoetaek was visibly holding Shinwon back from joining the argument right then, and the others were trying their best not to burst out laughing as the conversation escalated.

“You’ve got to be kidding me right?” Yuto stared at Wooseok with a genuinely concerned look on his face. “It’s mint chocolate, it’s _superior_.”

“Yuto, my man,” said Shinwon, standing up from his seat at the end of the table just to high five Yuto at the other end. Jinho almost spat out his food at the sight of the two before calming himself down.

“I agree with Wooseok though. Mint chocolate tastes like freakin’ toothpaste,” Jinho butted in, holding a hand up for Wooseok to high five him and they did so dramatically without even making eye contact. The others snickered and continued eating, minding their own business and talking among themselves while the fight went on beside them.

“ _Toothpaste_? I’m starting to think you’ve never brushed your teeth,” Yuto scoffed. “Are you saying regular mints taste like toothpaste too? I don’t think so.”

Wooseok sighed, looking so done with the man sitting opposite him. “Mint itself is fine, _on it’s own_ , but mint with _chocolate_? Electric chair.”

“I wish that chair you’re sitting on right now is electric,” said Yuto as he leaned forward, his eyes never leaving Wooseok’s.

“Ooh, you wanna kiss me so bad,” replied Wooseok, scooting his chair forward and copying the man’s actions.

The talking around them ceased the moment those words left Wooseok’s mouth, and once again everyone seemed to be anticipating Yuto’s reaction, which of course he didn’t notice. He was too busy tracing the shape of Wooseok’s nose down to his cupid’s bow with his eyes; too absorbed in flickering his gaze between Wooseok’s stare and the pink, plump lips that spoke so freely without a care.

Heat rose up Yuto’s chest and warmth engulfed his face when he finally realized where he was—still staring at Wooseok. The latter was just the same, looking at him expectantly with the same old ghost of a smirk haunting his lips. He seemed to realize the effect he had on his friend, but he wasn’t going to bring it up any time soon.

Before Wooseok could tear his gaze away, Yuto had reached for the small slice of pineapple from Hongseok’s plate and shoved it into Wooseok’s mouth.

“What the—” Wooseok could barely finish the sentence before gagging and running into the kitchen to spit the pineapple out again.

“I did not see that coming,” said Hyunggu as he poured himself another glass of water. He had an amused look on his face, and he didn’t even try to hide it.

Yuto huffed, picking up his chopsticks again to continue eating. “He deserves it.”

When Wooseok came back, he glared at Yuto as he sat down and angrily shove some rice cakes into his mouth.

“What?” Yuto teased, “I thought you liked pineapple so much.”

“On pizza, idiot. _On pizza!_ ”

Yuto only laughed, and Wooseok bit back a smile at the sound as he ate another mouthful of rice to cover it. The atmosphere became serene for just a split second when the two best friends weren’t at each other’s throats. But as mentioned, it was for a split second, before Hongseok decided to ruin it.

“You guys fight about the stupidest things, I swear,” he said. “Who cares about mint chocolate ice cream or Hawaiian pizza when the real enemy here is people who pour milk first before the cereal?”

“ _I_ pour milk first before the cereal, what’s wrong with that?” asked Yuto.

“You _what_?” Wooseok exclaimed, almost choking on the tteokbokki he just chewed.

Hongseok cowered in his seat as the others sent him a death glare each.

“Thanks a lot, Hong,” said Jinho, and Hongseok could only reply with an apologetic smile.

୨˚୧

After two weeks, Yuto thought Wooseok was done with saying those infuriating words to people, and to _him_ especially. It didn’t stop him from thinking about it constantly though, and it was starting to become a daily routine for him. His mind was clouded with _what-ifs_ and the waves of imagination drowned him with made up scenarios that he yearned to happen in real life.

Sometimes, lying awake in the middle of the night while Wooseok’s soft snores echoed in their small room from the top bunk, Yuto’s mind ran free. He thought about the several times that Wooseok said the phrase to him, and how much he wanted to just do it. What if what Wooseok kept saying was true?

What if Yuto really did want to kiss him so badly?

Would that be such a horrible thing?

Everyone knew how close they were. They’d been good friends ever since Wooseok introduced himself to Yuto when he first arrived from Japan, and they were merely adolescent middle schoolers, just rolling through life until they reached their twenties. Their friendship, despite their endless, childish fights and disagreements, was one of the most important things in Yuto’s life. _Wooseok_ was very important to him.

Realizing the emotions he felt for the boy made Yuto want to scream. Wooseok was there for him for almost a decade. They’d been through so much together, and Yuto knew that him wanting to kiss his best friend would only jeopardize the friendship that they had. He didn’t want to risk losing someone so vital to his living, no matter how much he wanted to run his fingers through Wooseok’s hair and just…kiss him.

“Yuto,” a voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Yuto... What are you doing?”

Wooseok was lying on Yuto’s bed, half asleep while the latter sat at his desk, studying. It was one o’clock in the morning, approximately eight hours before Yuto’s final exam, and Yuto wanted to get more studying done before sleeping.

“Hey, Yuto… Come here…” Wooseok said in his groggy, sleepy voice, and Yuto tried to brush him off, praying that he’d fall asleep again soon. Wooseok’s last paper was the day before, and he’s more than exhilarated to go back to their dorm and sleep, even if he did so on Yuto’s bed instead of his own.

When the room was quiet again, Yuto breathed a sigh of relief thinking Wooseok had fallen asleep, until the boy called his name again.

“Wooseok, just sleep.”

“No… I want cuddles.”

“I’m studying, Seok. Cuddle Pikachu.”

“I don’t want Pikachu, I want you.”

Yuto stopped flipping through his notebook. If this was how it felt like when one’s heart skips a beat, then Yuto’s heart skipped a thousand. He slowly turned in his chair to see Wooseok sprawled out on his bed, his face buried in the Pikachu plushie while one arm dangled over the side of the mattress.

“I need to study for tomorrow, Seokie. We can cuddle after my exams are done.”

Wooseok groaned into the plushie and Yuto waited for him to call his name again, but his friend stayed silent.

“Wooseok?” Yuto called.

“Don’t talk to me,” came the reply, his voice muffled as he still had his face buried in the big yellow plushie.

Yuto smiled to himself and shook his head before taking his notebook and making his way over to his bed.

“Move,” he muttered as he gently nudged Wooseok’s arm.

The taller man did as told, slowly getting up from his comfortable position to make room for Yuto. He waited until Yuto was leaning back onto the headboard before laying his head on his chest, his arm wrapped around Yuto’s torso.

Warmth spread through his veins as Wooseok relaxed and found comfort in his arms. He could smell the strawberry scented shampoo that he used, and he fought against stroking Wooseok’s hair. Instead, Yuto held his notebook above Wooseok’s shoulders and began reading again.

“Yuto,” Wooseok mumbled into his chest.

“Hm.”

“I think you should sleep.”

“I can’t, I need to study.”

“Yeah… but you’ve been studying nonstop all day. You deserve to rest.”

Yuto exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding and his lips formed a half smile. “I can rest all I want when I’m done with my final paper tomorrow. So I need to study hard now.”

Stubborn as always, Wooseok lifted his head and looked up at Yuto, their brown eyes meeting and sending waves of euphoria through their veins. Yuto found himself staring again. He wondered how those soft lips tasted like, and how good it’d be to feel them against his own.

“You’ve been studying the same notes all day, Yuto, I _know_ you’ve memorized the whole thing already.”

“But I just—”

“God, you’re so stubborn.”

“Let me finish!”

“No,” Wooseok wiggled his forefinger in front of Yuto’s face, “you need to sleep. You need enough sleep so your brain can process all that information you memorized and you’ll still remember everything in the morning.”

“For someone who’s mumbling while half asleep, you sure have a lot to say.”

Wooseok chuckled lazily. “I _always_ have a lot to say.”

“Go to sleep, moron.”

“You’re the moron.”

“Says the moron.”

“You wanna kiss me so bad.”

There it was again. The phrase that made every single act in the book of cliches become true. With Wooseok’s face just mere inches away, Yuto could see all the flaws that he didn’t have. From his smooth skin to his sleepy, doe eyes and his full lips, Yuto never really figured out how to stop staring once he started.

Every time his eyes locked with Wooseok’s, it really did feel like there were butterflies fluttering their wings in his stomach. Yuto couldn’t sit properly, and Wooseok’s stare burning into his wasn’t a big help either. Seeing his upturned lips made Yuto realize that Wooseok was probably aware of the effect he had on him, and he didn’t know what to do with that information.

It was so hard, both of them waiting for the other to make a move, but it also seemed so easy. He could just pull Wooseok into a breathless kiss that would leave them begging for more after months of mutual yearning that they weren’t even aware of; but at the same time, there was so much for them to lose, and that’s all they cared about rather than the truth that was right in front of them.

“What if I do?” Yuto finally breathed out.

Wooseok’s sleepy eyes widened at the man’s reply, and he found himself inching forward. There it was—the green light that he had been waiting for. It was now or never.

His eyes traveled from the perfect shape of Yuto’s nose down to his lips, slightly parted as if waiting for his to complete them. The cold, night air was nothing compared to the warm breath fanning Wooseok’s top lip as he leaned in, waiting to discover Yuto’s taste. It was as if time moved in slow motion just to compliment them, wanting them to take it slow and savor every second that passed by before the sensation knocked them senseless and devoured them whole.

But the universe wasn’t on their side that night.

Two sharp knocks on the door sounded just as their noses touched, and Yanan poked his head through the small opening without waiting for either of them to give permission for him to come in.

“Are you two asleep?” he asked, not even the slightest bit surprised to see Wooseok on top of Yuto.

“Not yet,” the Japanese man answered, half infuriated by the interruption yet simultaneously relieved by it.

“I’m studying for tomorrow’s paper, and I wanted to cook some ramen. I thought you two might like some too, so…”

Yuto and Wooseok glanced at one another before turning to see Yanan again, and politely declined his offer.

“I think we’re just gonna sleep now,” said Yuto.

“Ah, okay. Good night then,” Yanan replied, closing the door gently as he smiled knowingly to himself. He made his way towards the kitchen, ready to tell Changgu what he just witnessed.

After Yanan disappeared, Wooseok turned to face Yuto and gave him a tight smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Good night then?” he said, slowly getting off of Yuto.

Yuto looked confused as he put his notebook aside. “Where are you going? Come here.”

And those two words were all it took for Wooseok to grin like a cheshire cat, snuggling his way into Yuto’s arms again before both of them were swept into the land of dreams.

୨˚୧

Wooseok never brought up their almost-kiss from a week before, and Yuto didn’t know if he was relieved by it or not.

In front of him was the ocean, endless cerulean waters spreading far and wide beyond the horizon. Yuto took off his sandals to feel the warmth of the sand beneath his feet. He walked towards the edge of the shore and let the waves crash onto his exposed skin, watching closely as the sand went away with the water.

The beach was as picturesque as he last remembered, and he wondered when was the last time he’d gone there. Not many people were around since it’s only a Wednesday. Shinwon had suggested they go on a weekday so they can get good spots on the shore and not have children running around ruining their fun.

“Yuto! Hey, look what I got!” Wooseok shouted from behind him and Yuto turned around, finding the taller man holding up a plastic bucket in one hand and shovels in the other. “Come here!”

The Japanese man did as told, making his way up to Wooseok as he set down the bucket and laid out a mat for them to sit on. He asked where Changgu and Yanan were, and Yuto pointed at the two, swimming freely in the waters as if the world around them had disappeared.

Before either of them could comprehend their own actions, they’re both sitting in the sand, attempting to build a sandcastle. The base was built in a simple cuboid shape, and Yuto stuck his tongue out between his teeth as he focused on building his tower.

“Wait! I want some seashells for my tower,” said Wooseok. He went closer to the sea, crouching down and scrounging through the sand to find pretty seashells.

Not wanting to be left out, Yuto picked up the bucket and went to join Wooseok as well. He pushed some sand out of the way to find white shells glinting under the sunlight, and picked them up to show them to Wooseok.

“What do you think about these?”

Wooseok turned to look at the shells in Yuto’s hands and smiled, “Pretty! Look at these, they’re pink and yellow.”

“I think I’ll stick to white ones for my tower.”

“Boring,” Wooseok teased, moving forward to find more shells. “Where did Shinwon hyung and Hyunggu go?”

“Oh, they went to buy more snacks since you finished _half_ of them in the car,” Yuto threw Wooseok a glare, but the latter only laughed in reply.

The sun was slowly inching higher as noon arrived. Both Wooseok and Yuto were sitting on the mat, tired of arguing over seashells and sandcastles, so they gave up. Their half built castle remained abandoned several feet away while they pulled out whatever drinks that were left in their picnic basket.

“How are they not tired?” Wooseok asked as he watched Changgu and Yanan swim. They’d been doing so for an hour, while the two of them hadn’t even gone into the water yet.

“No idea,” answered Yuto. He rummaged through the basket to find a bottle of grape flavored Fanta and decided to drink it.

Wooseok turned to face him while drinking his strawberry Fanta, and almost choked on it when he saw the drink in Yuto’s hand.

“Ew, _grape_?”

“What the hell is wrong with grape?”

“I don’t know, _everything_? Why would you drink that trainwreck of a flavor when strawberry exists?”

Yuto gave him a look that could easily be translated to _I’m gonna kill you_.

“How can I drink it when _you_ took the last bottle?” he gestured at the drink in Wooseok’s hand. “Also, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with grape flavor. At least it’s not orange.”

“Oh my god, don’t even get me started on orange.”

“Yanan hyung likes orange flavor, though.”

Wooseok put his drink down as if he’d had enough. “Are you for real?”

“Yeah, who do you think all those orange sweets in our kitchen belong to? Changgu hyung doesn’t even like sweets.”

Wooseok puffed his lips as he exhaled, “That’s new information. Well, it’s gotta be better than grape flavor at least.”

“I’m convinced you’re against every single thing that I like in this world,” said Yuto. He sipped his drink and turned to look at the sea in front of them. “At least grape Fanta doesn’t make my lips look like they got stung by a bee.”

“What?” Wooseok muttered under his breath before fishing out his phone to check his reflection. “Damn,” he puckered his lips at Yuto, “you wanna kiss me so bad.”

And he’s right.

After weeks— _months_ —of tormenting his best friend with that dumb sentence, making him question himself and toying with his emotions, Yuto _wanted_ to kiss him.

Sitting there under the shade of coconut trees and having the wind blow through their hair, Yuto felt himself relax. Wooseok was still smiling at him, but when he felt the intensity of Yuto’s gaze raking up and down his face, flickering between his eyes and lips, the smile slowly disappeared.

He found himself copying Yuto’s actions, months of yearning burning bright in his eyes like a flame beneath the sun. Like the few times it’d happened before, this time it was different. This time, neither of them could look away, nor did they want to.

Yuto raised his hand to Wooseok’s face, running his fingers through his raven black hair the way he’d been wanting to. He’d been dreaming of doing so every single night, and the feeling of his soft hair under his touch raised goosebumps on his skin. He liked the way Wooseok’s eyes remained on his lips, his face inching closer without hesitation.

When Yuto’s thumb traced his cheek and the curve of his nose,Wooseok’s breath hitched in his throat. He remained under Yuto’s touch, blinking up at him with sparkling eyes that held the wonder of the world to the latter.

“Your hair’s a mess,” said Wooseok, chuckling at the mess of hair on Yuto’s head, courtesy of the never ending sea breeze.

Yuto’s mouth broke into a cheeky grin that in no doubt won Wooseok’s heart. He let his hand rest on the latter’s cheek, caressing the soft skin with his thumb. For once, Yuto decided that he didn’t care anymore. If showing Wooseok how he felt meant risking it all, then he was more than ready to do so.

“Ooh,” Yuto said, “you wanna kiss me so bad.”

“Hell yeah I do,” replied Wooseok in a heartbeat before he grabbed Yuto by the neck and closed the distance between them.

The sparks that erupted inside him was far greater than what Yuto had thought it would be. He felt himself floating, liberated from the forces of the world and free falling into the void of the universe. Yuto filled the void with every bit of emotion he felt towards the man whose taste he devoured, no longer pushing them down into the darkest pits of his mind.

_He was free._

When they pulled back, breathless, their eyes met again, wide and sparkling under the rays of sunlight. How could they have deprived themselves of such feeling, pining over the most foolish of things for a long time, when they were both right there in front of one another from the start?

“Wow,” Wooseok broke the silence.

“Wow,” agreed Yuto, breaking into a smile that showed the crinkles by his eyes. He let himself get lost inside Wooseok’s gaze again, not caring about the vast sea and countless beads of sand around them as he connected their lips again.

If fireworks were to erupt in the sky above them right then, it would be the most perfect explanation for what they felt at that moment.

“I can’t believe,” said Wooseok between kisses, “that you’ve waited this long.”

“What do you mean?” Yuto asked, holding Wooseok back by the shoulders while the latter held his face.

“Nothing, just shut up and kiss me.”

And so he did. The silent footsteps coming from behind them remained unheard as Changgu and Yanan approached, drenched with salt water.

“What the _fuck_?” Changgu said aloud, his jaw dropping to the floor while Yanan just grinned at the sight of the two boys.

Wooseok and Yuto pulled back and looked at them, the latter taking towels out of their bag and throwing them at Changgu.

“About. Damn. Time.”

They turned around to the other side, seeing Shinwon and Hyunggu approaching them from where they’d parked their car. Hyunggu held a plastic bag full of snacks, and Shinwon carried bottles of water in his arms.

“Pay the fuck up, An,” continued Shinwon after placing the bottles on the mat beside Yuto. The rest only watched as the two tall men exchanged knowing looks before Yanan placed a ten dollar bill in Shinwon’s hand. “Thank you.”

“What is going on?” Hyunggu chuckled, standing in front of Wooseok and Yuto with his hands on his hips. “Why am I not included in whatever bet you two did?”

“Because you can’t keep a secret,” answered Yanan, receiving a smack on the arm from the younger man. “Anyways, I really thought you two were kissing already when I barged into your room. Guess I’m wrong.”

“Well, at least it worked,” said Shinwon. He took a juice box and poked in the straw before taking a small sip. “It’s been months. Took you long enough.”

Wooseok kicked Shinwon’s shin with his bare foot. “Shut up, hyung.”

“What does he mean by that?” asked Yuto, confusion clear as day on his face. He stared between the three while Changgu and Hyunggu looked just as confused as him. “Is someone gonna explain, or…”

“Ever since Wooseok started saying that stupid line to us, we thought it’d be great if he used it on you to get to you finally kiss him,” Shinwon explained. He shrugged right after as if it wasn’t a big deal, taking another sip of his juice.

Yuto only turned towards Wooseok with widened eyes. “You _wanted_ me to kiss you? All this time?”

“Why do you sound so surprised? Wasn’t it obvious?”

“No? I thought you were just being yourself. You know, _painfully annoying._ ”

The others burst out laughing, nodding in agreement while a playful grin appeared on Wooseok’s face. It was about time they witnessed the two finally coming to terms with their own emotions. Maybe Wooseok wasn’t oblivious and tried his luck at a cheap shot with Yuto, but the latter was definitely in oblivion this entire time.

“Whatever, it worked, and now I don’t need to say it anymore. You’re so slow in catching up, it hurts,” said Wooseok.

“Ooh, you—”

“Don’t you _dare_.”

“You wanna kiss me so bad it’s annoying,” Yuto laughed out loud, the sound music to Wooseok’s ears just like it always was. “Now come here,” Yuto said, placing his hands around Wooseok’s neck and pulling him close, connecting their lips. Wooseok climbed into his lap, and they laughed between their kisses without caring about the snickers and “Get a room”s from their friends.

It didn’t take long before Changgu and Yanan went back to swimming while Shinwon became Hyunggu’s personal photographer, leaving Wooseok and Yuto alone to discover the feelings they’d been holding back before.

“Now _your_ lips look like they’d been stung by a bee,” teased Wooseok, poking Yuto’s cheek with his forefinger.

Yuto snickered, “Shut up, strawberry.”

“Really? _That’s_ your idea of an insult?”

“I don’t know okay, I can’t think straight right now ‘cause all I see is you.”

“Ass kisser,” Wooseok grinned, pushing Yuto back onto the mat as he straddled the man’s waist.

In that moment, with Wooseok’s soft lips against his and the warmth of his touch, Yuto welcomed the butterflies in his stomach with open arms and without a care in the world. Maybe he was thankful that Wooseok was the way he was; a teasing, annoying boy that managed to make him fall even with the stupidest phrase.

**Author's Note:**

> let’s just pretend autumn and winter don’t exist in this story okay i forgot about that oops


End file.
